Chapter 279 The Frustrated Black Shrek and Black Huo Yuhao.
In the dark world, in the squares of major cities, Soul Masters looked at the sky, and the discussions gradually subsided as everyone's eyes focused on the scene about to be played.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
The image gradually becomes clearer.
Outside Shrek City, the once peaceful sky was torn apart by countless streaks of dark golden light. That was the aura of soul beasts—powerful, violent, and filled with long-suppressed rage.
[The Beast God Di Tian led the charge, followed by Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, the Demon King, the Crimson King, and hundreds of soul beasts over 100,000 years old. They had fought their way through the Star Dou Great Forest, razing towns and villages in their path to the ground.]
"Shrek, give me back the life of my auspicious beast!" Di Tian's voice boomed like thunder across the sky above Shrek City.
Shrek Academy's defensive array activated instantly, a golden light shield enveloping the entire city. However, against an existence of Di Tian's caliber, the shield only lasted a few breaths before cracks began to appear.
Hei Xuanzi burst out of the Sea God Pavilion, followed by elders such as Mu En and Yan Shaozhe. Their expressions were grim; none of them had expected Di Tian to launch a beast tide at this time.
"Di Tian, have you gone mad?" Hei Xuanzi roared. "Are you trying to provoke a full-scale war between humans and soul beasts!"
"War?" Di Tian sneered. "When you humans killed our auspicious beast, did you never think of war? Your disciple Huo Yuhao forced the auspicious beast to sacrifice itself, stealing its power and fortune. Now the fortune of the Star Dou Great Forest is dissipated, our future is ruined, and you still want to talk to me about war?"
"That's Huo Yuhao's personal matter, it has nothing to do with Shrek Academy!" Hei Xuanzi argued.
"Unrelated?" Di Tian's killing intent intensified. "Huo Yuhao is your Shrek Academy disciple, someone you trained. You must take responsibility for what he did. Today, Shrek Academy must pay the price."
[Di Tian stopped wasting words and attacked directly. His dragon claw tore through the defensive light shield, sending Hei Xuanzi flying with a single blow. Hei Xuanzi was sent flying backward, crashing into half of the teaching building, coughing up blood.]
The army of spirit beasts stormed into Shrek City. The Bear King's claws tore through the school buildings, the Demon King's vines entangled the dormitories, and the Crimson King's flames ignited the library. Low-level spirit beasts chased after fleeing students, their screams, cries, and explosions mingling together in a deafening roar.
The teachers of Shrek Academy fought desperately, but they were no match for the onslaught of hundreds of 100,000-year-old soul beasts. Teacher after teacher fell, and student after student was torn to pieces.
The battle lasted for a full day and night.
When Huo Yuhao arrived, Shrek City was already in ruins. The once magnificent teaching buildings were reduced to rubble, most of the Sea God Pavilion was destroyed, and the waters of Sea God Lake were stained red with blood.
Huo Yuhao knelt amidst the ruins, trembling as he looked at the corpses scattered everywhere.
"Di Tian," Huo Yuhao stood up, his voice hoarse, "Stop attacking. What you want is me."
[Di Tian hovered in mid-air, looking down at him, his golden vertical pupils filled with indifference: "You've finally come out."]
"I'll go back to the Star Dou Great Forest with you," Huo Yuhao said. "Kill me or do whatever you want with me. But spare Shrek Academy."
"On what grounds?" Di Tian retorted.
"I'm still useful," Huo Yuhao said. "The power of the auspicious beast resides within me. If you kill me, that power will dissipate. If you keep me alive, at least a portion of our fortune can be preserved."
Di Tian was silent for a moment, then said, "You're right. Killing you would be a waste of the auspicious beast's life. Keeping you alive at least allows us to make use of you."
He flicked his finger, and a golden scale sank into Huo Yuhao's chest. That was the Reverse Scale, a method Di Tian used to monitor and suppress Huo Yuhao.
"From today onwards, you will come back to the Star Dou Great Forest with me," Di Tian said. "You are not allowed to go anywhere without my permission."
Huo Yuhao neither resisted nor spoke. He looked down at the mark on his chest, remaining silent.
Di Tian turned around and waved to the army of soul beasts behind him: "Withdraw."
The army of spirit beasts retreated like a receding tide, leaving Shrek City in ruins.
Hei Xuanzi crawled out of the ruins, watched Di Tian and Huo Yuhao leave, and sighed deeply. In this battle, Shrek Academy lost two-thirds of its teachers and nearly half of its students, suffering severe damage to its very foundation.
In the plaza of the Dark World, the Soul Masters witnessed this scene, and their discussions erupted once again.
"Hei Yuhao is still as cowardly as ever," a Soul Master said, shaking his head. "Di Tian attacked, and he hid until the very end before coming out. Even when he did come out, he didn't fight; he went to be a hostage. What kind of person is that?"
"Exactly," someone next to him chimed in. "Huo Yuhao from the White World dared to storm the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters alone at level 80 and kill six Title Douluo. Huo Yuhao from the Black World, when Di Tian came knocking on his door, didn't even have the courage to fight back."
"Black Shrek Academy is as weak as ever," another Soul Master said. "It was destroyed by Di Tian all by himself. If Huo Yuhao hadn't come out as a hostage, the entire academy would have been razed to the ground."
"If this were Shrek Academy from the White World, would Di Tian dare to come?" someone sneered. "Bai Xuanzi alone could easily crush Di Tian. He can even teleport Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao away with a flick of his wrist, so dealing with Di Tian would be a piece of cake for him."
"So that's the difference," an older Soul Master sighed. "The Shrek Academy in the White World is an existence that Di Tian dares not provoke. The Shrek Academy in the Black World is a place that Di Tian can come and go as he pleases. Same name, different fate."
"Alright, that's enough," a female Soul Master said. "Let's look at the sky."
All eyes were once again focused on the sky.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
Deep within the Starry Sky Forest.
Huo Yuhao was brought back to the core area by Di Tian. He sat cross-legged under an ancient tree, the reverse scale on his chest emitting a faint golden light—a method Di Tian used to monitor him.
"From today onwards, you will live here." Di Tian stood before him and said coldly, "Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave the Star Dou Great Forest."
Huo Yuhao didn't speak, he just nodded.
In the days that followed, Huo Yuhao settled down in the Star Dou Great Forest. Di Tian neither mistreated him nor restricted his cultivation; he simply wouldn't let him leave.
Huo Yuhao began researching the creation of soul spirits. He recalled what Electrolux had once said, and everything Electrolux had done for him in the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. He spent a long time, finally grasping some of the key points.
On this day, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged beneath an ancient tree, surrounded by a greyish-white light. That was the primordial power left to him by Electrolux, the key to his creation of his Soul Spirit.
"Elder Yi, I'm sorry," Huo Yuhao said softly. "I couldn't protect you back then. Now, I want to use what you left me to do something meaningful."
He closed his eyes and began to guide the grayish-white power. Light condensed in his palm, forming a blurry phantom—the nascent form of a soul.
Di Tian stood at a distance, watching this scene without saying a word.
Time passed day by day. Huo Yuhao became increasingly proficient in creating soul spirits. He not only created soul spirits for himself, but also helped some low-level soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest find symbiotic human soul masters.
But everyone knows that the foundation of this Soul Spirit system was built by Electrolux at the cost of his life.
In the plaza of the Dark World, the Soul Masters witnessed this scene, and their discussions arose once again.
"Has Huo Yuhao from the underworld finally created a Soul Spirit system?" a Soul Master said. "However, he's far behind Bai Xuanzi. Bai Xuanzi had already perfected the Soul Spirit system when Huo Yuhao first entered the academy."
"Yes." The person next to him nodded. "Hei Yuhao's soul came from the sacrifice of Electrolux. It actually has little to do with him personally. Electrolux paved the way for him with his life, and he was just walking it."
"Bai Xuanzi was the originator, Hei Yuhao was the imitator," another Soul Master said. "How can they be the same?"
"And have you noticed?" someone said, "Hei Yuhao created Soul Spirit to make up for the guilt he felt for Electrolux's sacrifice. He didn't really want to create any system; he was just atoning for his sins."
"That's the difference in perspective." An older Soul Master sighed. "Bai Xuanzi did it for the entire Soul Master world, for the coexistence of humans and Soul Beasts. Hei Yuhao did it to make himself feel better. The starting points were different, and the results were different too."
"Alright, let's look at the sky," someone said.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
After Huo Yuhao stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest for a period of time, Di Tian agreed to let him leave, but required him to return regularly to report on his progress.
Huo Yuhao left the Star Dou Great Forest and, instead of returning to Shrek Academy, joined the army. He enlisted in the Northwest Army Group of the Star Luo Empire, specifically the White Tiger Duke's unit.
He met his younger brother, Deloris, there and had a fairly pleasant time.
Finally, one day, upon learning of Duke Baihu's predicament, Huo Yuhao went to his aid without hesitation.
(End of chapter)